Landing gear



June 21 9 7 J. FRrrscH LANDING GEAR Filed oct. 21, 1926 4 sheen-Shed 1 June 21, 1927.

.1. FRrrscH n LANDING ;G EAR` Filed oct. 21, 192e 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June Z1, 19,27. n N -J' FRITSCH 1,633,174

LANDING GEAR Filed oct. 21, 192e 4 sheets-sheet 3 June 21, 1927.

J. F'RrrscH LANDI NG GEAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 21, 1926 i Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES Pinson.'y oFF-lcs.

JULES Fnrrsen, or raars, ramen LANDING enna.

Application led October 21, 1926, Serial No. 143,122, and. in Belgium October 26, 1925.

' landing shocks whlch might otherwise damintegral .a areconnected at age or destroy the machine.

Still further objects will appear in the course of the detailed description which will now be given, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of one form of 'landing gear with the wheels -in the flying and taking-oit position.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 as seen from 2-2-.

Fig. 3 shows anaeroplane landing nosedown on the gear illustrated in Figs. 1 and ,2 Fig. 4 shows in elevation a second form of landing .'gear.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the'apparatus. shown in Fig. 4 takenp on line .55.

' Fig.` 6 illustrates Aa third form of the inventionwith the aeroplane in taking-oil position as in Fi 1. A

Referring to t e various figures of the drawing, there' is shown a landing gear comprising (1) the .usual type of landing assembly, i. e.,fa pair of landing wheels a supported on -a transverse shaft or' axle b which is connected by a shock-absorber (not lshown) -to longitudinalV lelements c' rigidly connected to chassis d; chassis d is guided in its movements in any convenientl way; (2)l a ivo'ted system coupled to (1) and arrange symmetrically wlth respect to the aeroplane axis. AThe pivot'ed' system'l (2) may be constructed `'in a variet of ways; In the modification shown in igs." 1 to 3 it comprises longitudinallevers e pivoted, at points located'between wheels 'a to members with transverse element c. Levers their rear ends'toffusela biby meansof elastic shock-absorbers i.

At their front ends they carry wheels g posi mounted o n axle j.l Wheels g' may be of Aerably mmrmizes the smallerdiameter than wheels a and should be located in front of a vertical line, as sing through the center of gravity of t e machine. In Figs. 4" and 5 the pivoted system (2)`\includ`es a'fbent lever e1 pivotally connected to chassis d at points e2 located in front of axle b, a second bentlever e* pivvotally mounted on the chassis rearwardly of axle b Aat e", elastic shock absorber i similar to those shown in Figs-.1 to 3, and an adjustable cable or link e3, connecting the free ends of the bent portions'of levers e1 and etV The third form of ivoted system shown in Fig. 6 comprises a ent lever 'e1 mounted in the manner described in connection with the modification represented in Figs. 4 and 5, said lever being connected directly to a shock absorbing assembly i, Z extending from e on lever e1 to a point of support on chassis d situated rearwardly of axle b.

Wheels g should, preferably, be mounted on a common axle f mounted 1n any convenient manner (in sockets, for example) on the ends of levers e or e1. Levers e or` e1 and axle f thus assembled constitute a yieldable Yor resilient chassis which permits wheels time. is yieldable chassis is held together either by ,loose connecting elements j or by rigid rods. mounted attheir points' of junction in movable sockets.l The deformablev chassis may 'be provided with means for maintaining propeller k-clear of the ground during landing, said means comprisi loosel cables Z connected in positions par' lel to shock absorbers z', said cables serving to limit the distending movement ofelements i and preventing movement of levers e or "e1 to posltions vpermitting contact between the 10 llerc and the yel bove the groun level during Y, olf and flight (a) by cables m connectin levers e or e1 to arms d ofthe chassis, or $161 b means of abutments located rearwar y o the oints 01E-articulation of levers e or el. Lan g apparatus constructed in accord-A ance with the foregoing1 description consid- A anger of capsizing during a landing operation. When the aeroplane lands nose-down auxiliary wheels g coactin with shock-absorbers 1I con# stitute a coupe which exerts a turning movement tending to bring the center o gravity-of the machine into landing 'tion Similarly, in

of capsizingl beca rzzhto touch the ground at the same' maneuvering or because the ground is rough is greatly diminished.

It is to be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited to use withl land machines. By replacing wheels a and g With oats the same correcting effects may be obtained in landings 'effected on Water by hydro-aeroplanes.

It is further to bc ,understood that the particular constructions described are not to be taken in a limited sense; levers c or el' may be replaced by a single lever fitted with a wheel or a float or a skid, or by a large number .of levers similarly fitted; shock absorbers z' may be replaced (a) by a pair of telescoping tubes moving against the action of a spring or (b) by a piston exerting a cushioning action pneumatically in moving into and out of cylinder or (c) by a piston and cylinder moving against a liquid; shock absorbers z' may be located forwardly instead of rearwardly of lovers e or e1 etc What I claim is v 1. An apparatus of the class described comprising in combination an aeroplane body, a landing chassis, a main landing supportassociated With said chassis. an auxiliary landing support mounted on said chassis, resilient shock absorbing means associated with said auxiliary landing support, .and means associated with said shock absorbing means for limiting the movement thereof relative to said main landing support.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising in combination an aeroplane body, a landing chassis, a main landing support mounted on said chassis, a lever pivotally mounted on said chassis, an auxiliary landing lsupport mounted on one arm of said lever, resilient shock absorbing means con'- nected to the other'extremit of said lever, and means adapted to limit t e movement of said shock absorbing means.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising l in vcombination an aeroplane body, a landing chassis, -a main landing support mounted on said chassis, a lever pivotally supported on said chassis, an auxiliary landmg support mounted on said lever, flexible means for 'maintaining said auxiliary landing support clear of the taking-off. surface during normal takin -oi, resilient shock absorbin means exten ing from said lever to a xe part of the aeroplane body, and a flexible cable extending from said lever to a fixed portion of said aeroplane body.

An apparatus `of the class describedv comprising ,in combination an aeroplane landing operation, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of the auxiliary landing support. i

5. An apparatus o\f Vthe class described comprising in combination an aeroplane body, a landing chassis, a main landing support associated With the landing chassis, an auxiliary landing support pivotally supported on said chassis, said auxiliary landing support being located forwardly of a vertical plane passing through the center of gravity of the aeroplane body, means for maintaining the auxiliary landing support clear of the taking-off surface during a normal a taking-off, extensible resilient means for absorbing the shock taken up by the auxiliary landing support during a landing operation, and meanslfor limiting` the extending resilient means.

6. An apparatus ofthe class described comprising in combination an aeroplane body, a landing chassis, a main landing support associated with said chassis, a first lever movement of'said extensible pivotally supported on said chassis, an l.

auxiliary landing support mounted on said first lever, a second lever pivotally mounted on said chassis, a shock absorbing means con;

-nected to said second lever, and means for transmitting the pivotal movements of the first lever tothe second lever.

'7. An apparatus of the class described comprising in combination van aeroplane body, a landing. chassis, landing Wheels associated with said chassis, a rst lever pivotall supported on the landing chassis, an j AJULES FRI-TSCHL 

